:::::::You are in Global Research Journals! Welcome::::::GARJNM>Cummins et al: Clinical Presentation to Nursing Offices in Elementary and Middle School Children

The data on the health reasons for presentation to school nursing offices in elementary and middle schools are limited. Parental concern about injuries and absences from school were brought up to the school district in Huntington Beach, California. We sought to assess and quantify the health reasons for presentation to the nursing and health offices in elementary and middle schools. A retrospective survey study was conducted using the school nurses’ visit logs from 11 elementary and 4 middle schools in the Ocean View School District, Huntington Beach, California. From September 2010 through November 2010, 7606 children presented to the nursing office for medical reasons. They are in order of frequency, injuries 35.46%, abdominal pain 16.47%, upper respiratory infections 8.57%, headache 7.51%, miscellaneous reasons 6.55%, nausea / vomiting 5.59%, non traumatic pain 3.97%, epistaxis 3.35%, conjunctivitis 3.21%, toothache 2.41%, insect bites 2.16%, rashes 2.13%, earache 1.56% and asthma/bronchitis 1.06%. Of the children presenting to the SHO, 84.71% were returned to class and 15.29% were excluded from school. Minor trauma and abdominal pain were the most common reasons for presentation to the SHO. (51.93%) Upper respiratory infections, headache, miscellaneous reasons, nausea/vomiting, non traumatic pain, epistaxis and conjunctivitis were the next commonest reasons for presentation (38.75%). Toothaches, insect bites, rashes, earache and asthma/bronchitis were the least common presentations (less than 3% each). A majority of students were returned to class, however a significant minority of 15.29% were excluded from school due to illness or injury.

Keywords: Nursing officers, School, Children